Kuedo – Severant [Review]

s one half of Vex’d (alongside Roly Porter), Jamie Teasdale was responsible for two outstanding LPs of truly groundbreaking Dubstep. Their creations together tipped the Dubstep world upside down, raising the mark for every aspiring producer to follow them. Now he’s launching his solo material under the Kuedo alias to see if he can do the same thing to whatever the hell scene we’re in now.

Having said that, it should be noted that there do exist a few singles and EPs stretching as far back as 2009. Still, this is his first full length record as Kuedo and there’s a lot riding on it; this isn’t any ordinary debut, a lot of listeners are expecting something groundbreaking, a shift in the atmosphere. And in all honesty, they won’t be disappointed.

The album is said to be loaded with “preoccupations with futurism and escapism” and it shows. From the opening, warped and antiquated synths reminiscent of early Synth Pop and Industrial, with just the slightest hint of Tomorrow’s World (apologies to anyone outside of 1980s UK). All this is set against some very scatty drum parts that flit between UK Funky, Footwork and Squarepusher-esque IDM.

The tracks each capture a sense of optimistic escapism in the midst of a crisis, kind of like the eye of the storm. There’s a definite allusion to those Golden Age Sci-Fi programmes, fragile synthesizers and moody soundscapes. Fans of classic Science Fiction like Dune and Bladerunner will truly adore this record, the cold atmosphere and shimmering synths sound fragile and vulnerable like a blade of grass sprouting through a crack in the paving.

What really stands out though is the maturity of this record. It seems a long time since we heard those Grimey basslines and 2-step drum loops we came to love from Teasdale. In fact, the whole record could be played against looped footage of Harrison Ford running through the slums of post-apocalyptic New York. It may drive you slightly mad, but it would be a good kind of madness; warm and amusing.